The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-07-04
MIR. cULLoM ON THE INTERSTATE Law
1t Has Come to Stay-The Beginning of = New
Era In Railway Administration.

1t Has Come to Stay-The Beginning of New
Era In Railway Administration.
| Springfield CID Special.
At meeting of the Illinois Grain Merchants
| Association yesterday, Senator Culom was
called upon to speak on the interstate COM
MERGE law. He said he had remained silent in
regard to the law until the commission appointed
under It had got fairly started in the perform
ance of its duties. Such progress had been made
under it now as to justify xoresson of opIn-
ion, and he thought it safe to say that the first
result was to place all men more nearly on
equality with respect to advantages in the ship
ment of their products. The law. he said.
marked the beginning of rew era in railroad
adm nstration. and is the actual culmination Of
a long struggle for supremacy between the peo-
pie and the com ned power Of the railway
porations. It was in a sense experimental, but
it declaration by Congress of its power
over the subJect and of It's determination that
these privileged corporations should be con-
Quoted in the interest of the people
1.-The act will not be repealed" said he. and if
any persons or corporations imagine it will they
may as well dismiss that expectation Its sub
stantal provisions have come to stay, because
the people will find OUT if they have not already,
that they are in the interest of the general well
fare
He said it was common to hear the provis-
ions of the law called buugling and ambiguous
so far my observation goes" said he, chose
who are attacking the law and seeking to over
throw it the persons who profess to find
difficulty in understanding its meaning. It is in
their way. They want to get rid OF it The
true ground of objection the part of such
the alleged ambiguity of the law. The fact is
that there Is nothing particularly new or start
ling in its provisions. Similar provisions are
found in the constitutions and statutes Of many
OF the States and in the laws of other coun tries.
Much of the language used in its most impor-
tant sections has q settled meaning. having been
judlciaily construed either in this country
in England, and this is specially true of some of
the phrases which have been most generally at
tackled as meaningless and ambiguous"
The requirements of the law that all charges
shall be reasonable, and that there shall be
uni discrimination or unreasonable advantage
or preference in favor of any person place,
he declared had been shown by the character OF
the compla lnts against the enforcement of the
act to be absolutely demanded. In reference to
the long and -short-haul clause he said For
many years the railroads of the country have so
absolutely controlled interstate commerce
that We have no means of knowing what are the
natural channels of traffic. what would be the
effect of the natural laws of trade upon many,
What the critics of the law call natural centers
Of trade are ccnters created by railroad favorit-
ism which has diverted trade from it's natural
channels into artificial ones at the expense OF
less favored localities" The Senator hoped
there would be no prolonged antagonism to the
enforcement Of the law. He said he did not
join in the charge that the railroads are attempt
ing to render the law obnoxious. He credited
them with too much business sagacity for that.
Such could only prolong a struggle
that would end speedily by quiet acquiescence
in the will of the people expressed in the law.